Was just reading John Ivison's blog in today's National Post - http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/02/15/john-ivison-gst-cuts-don-t-make-the-hall-of-fame.aspx - and some thoughts occurred. Very preliminary thoughts. Possibly wrong-headed and premature. But thoughts, nonetheless.
Ivison opines that Prime Minister Harper may be seeking his legacy in the Arctic, a region that obviously attracts him and could certainly benefit from his attention. Also a region that is of great strategic interest again, given its vast natural resources and the new openness of potential shipping lanes in the northwest passage.
Well, we could probably do worse than look to the north.
Especially since this shifting focus is happening at a time when our Winter Olympics are in full swing, and we are being reintroduced to the thrill of being a northern nation. When the United States, our ideological beacon for the last 150 years, has become social, political and economic porridge. When Britain, an over-bearing presence in our colonial minds, is in a nose-down, stalled-out spiral on every significant dimension of civilization.
What an interest confluence of events.
So I ponder John Diefenbaker and his unrealized northern vision.
Maybe we will finally discover ourselves as a northern nation, and be comfortable at last with our flannel-shirted selves. No more chasing other people`s dreams. No more aping a distant empire`s culture. No more parrotting other people`s ideas and following in other people`s footsteps. Just being ourselves as best we can.
And finally building something of lasting value out of this strange northern brew.
Not the fastest, highest or strongest perhaps, but a fine northern place, full of good people doing interesting things.
We could do worse.
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